The Week in Germany
May 28, 2010
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Dear TWIG Readers,
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A European friend of mine used to say about Mick Jagger "he is so ugly he is beautiful again". In the same vein, the annual televised Eurovision song contest could be described as "so tacky it is entertaining again".
Opinions on the attractiveness of the legendary Rolling Stones frontman, not to mention the usage of awkwardly clipped "Euro-English" expressions, may vary. Yet the pillow-lipped Jagger and his talented bandmates have indisputably made lasting contributions to the canon of 20th-century rock music.
The shelf life of most Eurovision entries, by contrast, tends to be much shorter. Many of these original recordings - classics cannot be copied for the pan-European musical face-off - sound akin to what most North Americans might dismiss as danceable, yet forgettable, "euro-trash" electronica or early Britney Spears B-sides. (There are to be fair a few famous ditties among them, notably the ABBA classic "Waterloo", which won the contest for Sweden in 1974.)
Supranational campfest
But this is of little interest to Eurovision aficionados. Eurovision is about so much more than mere music. Established as the Grand Prix d'Eurovision by the Swiss-based European Broadcasting Union in 1956, it has since expanded eastwards to include on average some 40 countries competing in a weeklong tournament.
The basic premise of Eurovision is simple: every country enters a single act that performs a single song, with TV viewers voting by phone, or "televoting". Viewers may not vote for their own country. So they often vote for neighboring countries they have particularly warm and fuzzy feelings for. (Et voila - democracy in action at the supranational level!)
In this vein, the Nordic, Baltic and Balkan countries, respectively, generally vote in "blocs" for each other. Russia meanwhile tends to dole out votes to its central European neighbors, and vice versa. This is how countries such as the Ukraine have come to dominate the contest in recent years.
Some nationalities, however, hardly ever vote for certain other countries - the Greeks and the Turks or the French and the English, for instance, may not necessarily vote for each other. Yet, at least when it comes to Eurovision, these ancient animosities tend to be taken in stride. Eurovision is simply a really fun way to blow off some steam, just like Europeans do at soccer matches, albeit in a much more campy context.
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My first Eurovision
The best way to watch a Eurovision grand finale is with a bunch of Europeans. I did once at the apartment of a Dublin-born friend in Brussels. Assembled around his TV set were an eclectic cast of 20- and 30-something characters, including a Belgian couple, a group of gay men from London, a globetrotting hipster German development worker, and myself, a German-American journalist living at the time as an expatriate in Belgium.
My first Eurovision was a lot of fun. Although I've never been to a superbowl party before, the mood may have been similar. We all laughed as the camera cut to Ireland after a commercial break and a young woman eagerly chirped: "Welcome to Ireland, the home of Eurovision!" (Ireland has won seven Eurovision contests, more than any other country.)
And we were all impressed with a bizarre Belgian entry - instead of belting out a tune in French, Flemish or German (the three official languages of Belgium), the lead singer of a low-key band operatically crooned in a newly created "imaginary" language. But Turkey - which tends to get a lot of votes from Germany, home to many people of Turkish origin - won that year (2003) for a creative act with exotic eastern flair.
Skin wins
The winner another year (2005) was Greece with a saucy number in which a curvy woman resembling a Nordic JLo with a flaxen leonine mane pranced about onstage in a skimpy sparkly outfit shaking her hips violently as she chanted "You're my lover - my No.1!" and was encircled by a group of panting muscular male dancers.
Recently a DC-based Swedish Eurocrat told me that this contestant was, in fact, of Swedish origin. Similarly any act that performs for a specific country may actually originally hail from another European country - that's just part of the magic of Eurovision, which is truly a "European melting pot".
And it even extends at times beyond the traditional "borders" of Europe - an Israeli transsexual named Dana International won the contest for Israel in 1998. Canadian singer Celine Dion won in 1988 for Switzerland, and the US act Katrina & the Waves won for the UK in 1997, the only time an American singer has won a Eurovision contest.
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Plan your own party
Eurovision is virtually unknown in the US. But anyone can tune in online via Eurovision.tv to this year's finale taking place in Oslo, Norway, on Saturday, May 29.
Could Germany's fresh-faced young contestant, Lena Meyer-Landrut, dazzle European viewers enough with her adorably upbeat bubble-gum pop "Satellite" song to win? Germany has not won a Eurovision song contest since 1982. Yet hopes for a Eurovision victory are finally high again as she is considered one of the top contenders among 15 finalists.
Whether you're watching it on TV in Europe or on a laptop anywhere else in the world, be sure to include a few friends in all the Eurovision fun. (Watching it alone would, quite frankly, probably just be a tad too weird...) Donning your favorite ultra-tacky disco-era getup and pouring a few cocktails wouldn't hurt either. A few fellow Americans I got to know during my Belgian days continue to watch Eurovision every year in Brussels - they just can't get enough of it!
At the end of the day, regardless of musical tastes (or tastelessness), Eurovision unites. In this sense, at least, it really has succeeded in its initial mission of bringing Europeans together.
Und das ist gut so! Viva Europa! Cheers.
Karen Carstens
Webteam Germany.info
Co-Editor, The Week in Germany
Related Links:
Eurovision Song Contest - Live
Eurovision Song Contest on Facebook
Eurovision - What are Lena's Chances? - Young Germany
Stefan Raab - Vater des Erfolgs von Lena - Welt Online (in German)
In this issue
Top Stories
Current Affairs
Business, Technology and the Environment
Culture and Lifestyle
About "The Week in Germany"
Top Stories
Eurovision: An Olympics of Popular Song
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What if you had to choose a pop song to represent the USA and win the hearts and minds of people everywhere in an Olympics of song judged by the common folk? This is the challenge that European countries face every year in the Eurovision Song Contest.
The 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa
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After a third place finish in 2006, the German National Team has once again qualified to compete in this year’s World Cup. Thirty-two national soccer teams will compete for the title in the 19th World Cup, which takes place in South Africa from June 11 to July 11, 2010.
Introducing a Transatlantic Program for Young Technology Leaders
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The German American Chamber of Commerce of the Midwest has introduced a new transatlantic Young Technology Leaders program. A delegation of 12 Americans will be selected for a Sustainable Architecture & Urban Planning trip to Germany from September 19-27, 2010. The application deadline is June 16.
The Stadiums: Germany's World Cup Architects
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When the German national squad meets Australia on June 13, the game will kick off in a stadium designed by German architects: the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban.
DAAD Young Ambassador and Research Ambassador Programs
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Applications are now being accepted for the DAAD's Young Ambassador and Research Ambassador programs. These occupy a central role in the organization’s outreach strategies to recruit fresh, dynamic voices on the importance and value-adding experience of transatlantic study and research.
Current Affairs
Foreign Minister Westerwelle on Iran
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"While Iran’s announcement of its offer to enrich its uranium abroad is a first step, a possible agreement on this does not solve the underlying problem," Westerwelle said.
Building Support for the Peace Process
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Securing regional support for the Israeli-Palestinian peace process was the focus of Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle’s visits to Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan and Syria.
Business, Technology and the Environment
Eco-friendly Wood Houses Premier in Berlin
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There's a happening Berlin premier that's not on the red carpet of the film or fashion worlds, but rather in the capital city's architecture scene - multi-story houses built from wood. A pine forest is contained in the walls of the chic five-story buildings - the first wood houses of their kind in Germany.
Turkey Tapped as Partner Country at 2011 CeBIT Electronics Fair
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Turkey has been selected as the 2011 partner country for the next CeBIT trade fair, one of the world's biggest electronics events, held annually in the northern German city of Hanover.
Culture and Lifestyle
We Still Miss Him – Rainer Werner Fassbinder Would Have Been 65 on May 31
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There has probably never been and there probably still is no other German director who sparked such vigorous interest all over the world. Rainer Werner Fassbinder was also the most productive of the New German Cinema’s filmmakers.
Ozeaneum Wins European Museum of the Year Award
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The Ozeaneum in the northern German coastal city of Stralsund, which describes itself as a "a declaration of love to the oceans", has been named European Museum of the Year.
90th Birthday of Literary Critic Marcel Reich-Ranicki
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Few have left such a lasting mark on the literary landscape of the Federal Republic as Marcel Reich-Ranicki, one of Germany’s best-known and most influential literary critics. On 2 June, the German 'pope of literature' turns 90.
Ballack Believes in German Will to Win
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Injured captain Michael Ballack says Germany can do well at the World Cup but will have to perform at its very best in South Africa.
Heritage High School Officially Accepted into PASCH Network
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Ambassador Klaus Scharioth recently presented Heritage High School in Leesburg, VA, with a plaque officially inducting it into the Network of German Partner Schools (PASCH), now with over 1,400 members worldwide.
Readings: Second Opinions Courtesy of Germany.info
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This week, follow the moth to a duller future, remember a pioneer of German audio technology and find the best soft pretzels in New York City.
About "The Week in Germany"
A Publication of Germany.info and the German Information Center, USA
The articles referred to in this newsletter may contain links to websites that are maintained by third parties. These links are for readers' reference only, and the German Information Center is not responsible, nor shall it be held liable for, the content, services or products provided on these websites. The opinions and material contained herein do not necessarily represent the views or policies of the German government.
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